Environment blog + Curriculums | The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog+education/curriculums
Indexen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2017Tue, 26 Sep 2017 21:21:22 GMT2017-09-26T21:21:22Zen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2017The Guardianhttps://assets.guim.co.uk/images/guardian-logo-rss.c45beb1bafa34b347ac333af2e6fe23f.pnghttps://www.theguardian.com
Climate change will still not be taught in English primary schools | Leo Hickmanhttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2013/jul/08/climate-change-geography-national-curriculum
The Department for Education has changed the wording of the key stage 3 geography curriculum to incorporate climate change<p>After months of <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/apr/14/plans-drop-climate-change-curriculum">angst and debate</a> over the omission of the term "climate change" from the draft version of the new geography curriculum for key stages 1-3, the Department for Education has today released the new wording.</p><p>The two versions remain virtually word-for-word the same, except for this section of the key stage 3 "subject content". Under the head "human and physical geography", the draft wording (<a href="http://www.geography.org.uk/download/GA_NEGeographyDraft.pdf">pdf</a>), first published in March, said that pupils should be taught to:</p><p>…understand how human and physical processes interact to have an impact on and form distinctive landscapes.</p><p>…understand how human and physical processes interact to influence, and change landscapes, environments and the climate; and how human activity relies on effective functioning of natural systems.</p><p>Specifically mentioning climate change alongside the existing reference to 'climate' will ensure clarity on this issue for schools without requiring any major drafting changes to the curriculum. In doing so we will demonstrate the coalition's willingness to respond to feedback. More importantly we will safeguard the very important role that teachers have in helping children understand the impacts of climate change, one of the most important global issues of this century.</p><p>Today's revised geography curriculum is far from ideal. Whilst it may make explicit reference to the human influence on climate change, it is considerably weaker than the current framework. There is no longer any mention of sustainable development at Key Stage 2, nor its associated topics of social fairness and conservation of resources. There is no mention of global citizenship, as is currently detailed in Key Stage 3, or the tensions between economic and environmental prosperity, which are at present included.</p><p>Michael Gove has listened to the headline demands for climate change but weakened the curriculum when it comes to sustainable development. This government pledged to be the greenest yet but this message doesn't seem to have reached the education department when applied to the natural world. We welcome the inclusion of climate change in the geography curriculum at key stage 3, although we're seriously concerned about the lack of learning about sustainability and climate change at primary level. Even at secondary level, students are only required to learn the facts about how humans cause climate change. Missing is the broader understanding and debate about sustainable human and societal interaction with the environment on which we all depend.</p><p>...understand, through the use of detailed place-based exemplars at a variety of scales, the key processes in: physical geography relating to: glaciation, plate tectonics, rocks, soils, weathering, geological timescales, weather and climate, rivers and coasts.</p><p>...understand, through the use of detailed place-based exemplars at a variety of scales, the key processes in: physical geography relating to: geological timescales and plate tectonics; rocks, weathering and soils; weather and climate, including the change in climate from the Ice Age to the present; and glaciation, hydrology and coast.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2013/jul/08/climate-change-geography-national-curriculum">Continue reading...</a>EnvironmentClimate changeClimate changeEducationEd DaveyMichael GoveCurriculumsGeography and environment studiesGeographyMon, 08 Jul 2013 15:56:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2013/jul/08/climate-change-geography-national-curriculumPhotograph: John Stillwell/PA Archive/Press Association ImaMichael Gove during a visit to a classroom. Photograph: John Stillwell/PA Archive/Press Association ImaPhotograph: John Stillwell/PA Archive/Press Association ImaMichael Gove during a visit to a classroom. Photograph: John Stillwell/PA Archive/Press Association ImaLeo Hickman2013-07-08T15:56:00ZPR smokescreen cannot hide the holes in climate teaching proposals | Bob Wardhttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2013/apr/29/pr-smokescreen-holes-climate-teaching-proposals
The new national curriculum provide a less in-depth introduction to climate change, and misses out vital information about risks<p>The Department for Education this month ended a consultation on its controversial proposals for the national curriculum amid protests about its plans to cut back on the teaching of climate change.</p><p>The education secretary, Michael Gove, <a href="https://www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/curriculum/nationalcurriculum2014/nationalcurriculum" title="">launched his review of the curriculum in January 2011</a>, but it has been beset by problems and delays, including <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/jun/17/michael-gove-national-curriculum" title="">complaints about of a lack of transparency and resignation threats from key advisers</a>. It has also been hit by criticisms over suggestions that climate change would be omitted from a new slimmed-down version of the curriculum, which would be taught in English schools from September 2014.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2013/apr/29/pr-smokescreen-holes-climate-teaching-proposals">Continue reading...</a>Climate changeEnvironmentNational curriculumSchoolsCurriculumsEducationClimate changeScienceMon, 29 Apr 2013 11:05:57 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2013/apr/29/pr-smokescreen-holes-climate-teaching-proposalsPhotograph: Vanderlei Almeida/AFP/Getty ImagesChildren play with a giant globe at the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 2012. Photograph: Vanderlei Almeida/AFP/Getty ImagesPhotograph: Vanderlei Almeida/AFP/Getty ImagesChildren play with a giant globe at the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 2012. Photograph: Vanderlei Almeida/AFP/Getty ImagesBob Ward2013-04-29T11:05:57ZGeography taught me climate change is unjust – and inspired me to fight | Esha Marwahahttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2013/mar/19/geography-climate-change-unjust
Previous generations' ignorance led to global warming. To change the curriculum now is an outrageous backward step<p>My name is Esha, I am a secondary school student from the Heathland School in Hounslow and a member of the <a href="http://ukycc.org/" title="">UK Youth Climate Coalition (UKYCC)</a>. Geography has always fascinated me. Volcanoes, globalisation, development, you name it. It's the one subject that has left me with the desire to find out more. In fact, it inspired me enough to appreciate that not only is the Earth a beautiful place, but that it is one in desperate need of our help. More importantly, it inspired me to get out there and do as much as I could to make a difference.</p><p>Climate change is the most pressing and threatening issue facing us. Through lack of understanding from generations before us, we are now having to fix it.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2013/mar/19/geography-climate-change-unjust">Continue reading...</a>Climate changeEnvironmentEducationGeography and environment studiesGeographyScienceSchoolsNational curriculumCurriculumsTue, 19 Mar 2013 12:08:11 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2013/mar/19/geography-climate-change-unjustPhotograph: UK YCCMembers of the Youth Climate Coalition at COP18 in Doha on 9 December 2012. Education is vital if we want young people to be informed in taking on the challenge of climate change. Photograph: UK YCCPhotograph: UK YCCMembers of the Youth Climate Coalition at COP18 in Doha on 9 December 2012. Education is vital if we want young people to be informed in taking on the challenge of climate change. Photograph: UK YCCEsha Marwaha2013-03-19T12:08:11Z